The Best Ways for a Guy to Straighten His Hair
- Want to straighten your hair just for a day? Guys should consider the hot tool relied on by many women--the straightening iron. When it comes to a straightening iron, quality matters. If you run to the corner drugstore for the cheapest iron, chances are you'll learn the hard way that only the more expensive ceramic or tourmaline-plated straightening irons yield the best results. Cheap irons don't get as hot as salon-quality straightening irons. Hair also has a tendency to snag between the plates.
You can find a straightening iron used by salon pros at sites such as Folica.com or Beauty.com. Look for popular brands such as Sedu, CHI, Solia or GHD. While these irons can run from $100 to $200, if your hair is short, you can easily make do with a mini-flat (travel) straightener, which costs less than $60. Often these websites have sales on straightening irons, so keep your eyes open for a bargain.
When you straighten your hair, remember that you're subjecting it to heat damage. Make sure to use a spray-in heat protectant before you put your locks between the plates, no matter their length. Straighten your hair in very small portions for best results, and remember to use an anti-frizz serum (those that are silicone-based tend to work best) either before or after you straighten.
Barring a rainstorm or sudden rise in humidity, your hair should remain straight all day or until you wash it again. If you want to go for the "straight hair look" only occasionally, the straightening iron is probably your best bet. - If you're a guy who wants to make a commitment to straight hair, there are two salon treatments that might interest you. The first is thermal reconditioning, which is appropriate for men whose hair is at least four inches in length. This treatment will straighten your hair permanently, but once your hair starts to grow out, maintenance treatments are needed. Women pay anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per treatment, so this is a costly endeavor. The treatment goes by other names, including: Japanese hair straightening, Japanese straightening, ionic retexturizing, thermal restructuring, rebonding and thermal reconstruction.
A Brazilian keratin treatment, commonly known as the "Brazilian blow-out" to women, is another salon technique used to straighten hair semi-permanently. The cost of this treatment? It's fairly costly, ranging from $150 to $600. However, what might make Brazilian straightening appealing to men is that after the treatment, your newly straight hair gradually reverts to its formerly wavy or curly state over a period of two to three months. If you decide straight hair's not for you, there's little commitment. - If you're a low-maintenance kind of guy, a couple of products on the market might help you get straighter hair. Liquid Keratin, a lighter version of the Brazilian keratin treatment, is sold as a home kit and is available from Beauty.com, most Ulta stores and the company's website. Unless you frequent ladies' beauty forums such as NaturallyCurly.com and MakeupAlley.com, you probably are unaware that reviews of Liquid Keratin are extremely mixed. Some people who used it noticed a dramatic difference, while others merely noted a reduction in frizziness.
What about all those straightening products on the market? Do they work? As your lady friends can attest, these are most helpful when you blow-dry your hair straight using a paddle brush. Simply applying them to your hair won't give you pin-straight hair. Your success using these products will vary, depending on the product and if you're proficient at blow-drying your hair straight. A hot new product on the market is No Frizz Straight Making Styling Cream, developed by an MIT scientist. No Frizz hair products are available at Sephora.com and have received glowing reviews from the women who have used them.